The following Monday was the Royal School Fair. Tilly and Quon ran around to all the tents, seeing all they could. They spotted Garrick writing Ever Realm Academy anxiously on his stone tablet.

"Think he passed?" Quon asked Tilly in a low tone.

"I don't think even he knows yet," Tilly replied.

Eventually Quon put down Ever Realm Academy and ran off to have his stone tablet engraved. Tilly wandered a while longer, but she was so unsure. What if she chose to be queen and went to an entirely wrong school? So, just to be safe, she put down Ever Realm Academy. At the end of the fair she was happy to learn she could change it if she wanted to.


Tilly and Quon sat side by side in the greenhouse, their old lunch spot, diplomas in hand. Tilly fingered her graduation sash while Quon stared in wonder at his diploma.

"You think it's going to be weird? The new school?" Tilly wondered.

"It's still school," Quon replied. "Just…more specialized."

"You think we're ready?"

"My father once told me if you wait until you're ready, you'll be waiting forever."

"I guess," Tilly sighed.

"So…have you decided what you're going to do? About the throne?" Quon asked.

Tilly shrugged. "I don't know. Father said to do what makes me happy but I don't know what that is."

"You better figure it out fast," Quon warned.

"I know."

"Quon! Time to go!" a voice outside the greenhouse suddenly called.

"My mother," Quon explained, standing. "I'll see you tonight at the ball."

"Bye, Quon," Tilly said, getting up to hug him tight. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations, Tilly," Quon responded before he left, leaving Tilly all alone.

She sank back onto her seat, so confused. She had to choose and soon. If she chose the crown, would she be happy? She hadn't even been able to help with the food for the Villager's Ball. Could she really be trusted with foreign policy and law making?

And what if she did abdicate? What would she do? She liked reading and learning new things, but she couldn't do that forever.

What would make her happy? What was she passionate about?

Tilly couldn't think of a single thing.

Just then, her amulet started to shimmer and glow. Tilly cupped it with her hands. It rarely glowed like that. Which meant…

"Hello Princess Tilly," a warm voice greeted.

Tilly looked up and saw a regal woman entering the greenhouse. She had glowing bronze skin and long hair as black as ink. She wore a tan dress with some fringe that had a single strap and ended above her knees. A red tattoo went around her upper right arm and a blue necklace rested against her collar bone.

Tilly stood up, in awe of the woman bathed in a shimmering red light.

"Pocahontas?" she breathed.

"Wingapo, Tilly," Pocahontas greeted. "I have summoned to aid you by the Amulet of Avalor. What seems to be wrong?"

"Well…my father recently told me that if I want to abdicate the throne I have to choose by tonight," Tilly explained. Pocahontas nodded and sat down on the seat Tilly had just stood from, putting her warm hands on the young princess's shoulders.

"This is a tough choice, Tilly. And only you can make it. Do you want to be queen?" Pocahontas asked.

"I don't know. I mean, it is my responsibility as a royal to look out for my subjects. And I don't know what else I would do."

"You know, I once had a path set before me because I was the chief's daughter. I would have been content but no where near as happy as I could have been. I wanted to see what was beyond the river bend and because I chose to, I ended up saving my tribe and the foreigners who visited us. I served my people in a different way."

"But I don't see any other paths," Tilly cried.

"You may not be able to see around the river bend. I certainly couldn't. But you most have faith in yourself. You will find your path if you are brave enough to search for it. There must be something calling your heart, Tilly."

"I…I think I know what I'm going to do," Tilly suddenly said. She began to grin, spinning around with joy. "I think I know what I want! Thank you, Poca-!"

But the princess was long gone. Tilly had forgotten that was how the magic worked.

No matter. She knew what to do now; she could see the beginning of her path. And it started with changing a few things on the Wall of Next Steps.


"You look lovely, Princess Matilda," Baileywick said as he entered Tilly's room.

The princess was sitting at her vanity, adding a silver bracelet to her ensemble. She wore an ocean blue dress with a scalloped edged skirt. It had poofed short sleeves and a silver vine that spared all across the skirt and up the bodice with golden flowers blooming off of it occasionally. Her purple amulet sat right over her heart and silver crown with golden flowers sat atop her head.

"Thank you, Baileywick," she said as she stood.

"Your parents would like to see you before the ball," he told her, opening her bedroom door for her.

Tilly nodded at him and walked forward, stifling her nerves.

What would they say about her decision?